Everybody Loves A Good One
by EtsukoNino
Summary: RnK: A spy from Bern seeks revenge and gets involved with the royalstruggles of the Lycian court.
1. Rumour Has It

**Nintendo Laywer** says: _EtsukoNino does not own Fire Emblem or any of the characters._

**ETSUKONiNO:** The only thing I own are two OC's that aren't even going to show up in this chapter.

Chapter One – Introduction

Famed for its military might and wyverns, Bern was a powerful but old country. But then again, with each passing day the country wasn't getting any younger. It had seen battle after battle, and king after king come and go. It was something expected to come with time. What goes up must come down; all things must come and go.

And yet it wasn't the only thing expected to come time after time. Ah, for Bern was no different then its allies and neighbors in Elibe. Bern was naught but a country of people. With the great times that came, it was inevitable that the future generations would look back and wonder about the mysteries of its past as well as its present.

One such mystery was the secret to Bern's spy network. Of course, it was a spy's job to stay mysterious and unknown- it would prove a problem should someone find out they were a spy. Yes… it would get messy since one of the first rules was to leave no leaks… no witnesses.

Oh! They were skilled at hiding the bodies after they killed off the unfortunate fellow who stumbled upon them doing their supposed-to-be-secret missions but it didn't mean they were in the clear.

Family and friends would worry. Search parties would be sent. And sometimes they would get lucky and find the corpse which would later be ruled as a suspicious death of sorts.

Because everyone knows, most spies that screw up end up being in their youthful teen years. A veteran would never mess up… and if he did, he would never get caught.

And yet, despite the cruel life of a spy and assassin, even those in the shadows had social lives… most of them anyways. They fell in love, played around, sold information to those who paid high enough, and gossiped. Oh, the Bernese spies loved to share stories!

And the latest thing everyone was talking about?

_That_ spy. The one everyone called a prodigy? Young and kind of naïve but always gets the good missions? Y'know… He's always hanging around the guy with the blue hair! Oh him! I haven't heard from him in awhile… He's never around anymore. Well that's because… Stop lying. I'm telling the truth! Since when have you been the honest type?-!

That's right, everyone was talking about that spy. One of the Bernese government's greatest spies was missing.

Went to Lycia with his good friend and never came back. One minute they heard he was caught by a Lycian Lord and sentenced to death. The next week, stories arose about the Taliver bandits wanting to kill a certain Bernese boy.

Oh! But the stories didn't stop there! Merely three days later, the story was divided between one of two. He was dead in the plains or he had eloped with a Sacaen woman and put the spy life behind him.

And the story kept on changing. Oh, Bern's greatest spy had turned coat to Lycia. Bern's greatest spy was dead in Nabata. Bern's greatest spy was frozen in a block of ice in Ilia. But no matter how you put it. Bern's greatest spy was missing.

But with all the stories floating around, what's truth and what's bored-spy talk?

Well, Rumour has it...


	2. A Name to Live Up To

Everybody Loves A Good One by EtsukoNino

Nintendo Lawyer says: _EtsukoNino does not own Fire Emblem or any of the characters._

says: 

ETSUKONiNO: The only thing I own are two OC's that talk like two old maids. –laughs weakly-

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Chapter 2: A Name to Live Up To 

Wrapping his long fingers around the bronze handle, he pulled the knife out from the body's throat.

It was like trying to pull a key from an old lock- a simple tug could not remove it from its fleshy home.

Shaking it slightly, the sound of flesh and blood swishing around and a small pop of air signaled that it could now be unlocked.

As the knife's iron blade was pulled out, a trail of blood chose to stick to the slightly-dull edge like a grand spider's web straining against the wind. Straining… straining… trying to stay with the blade until it snapped- a trail of blood marking the ground.

He shook the knife to get the blood off, even using the robes of the dead man to clean off the blade. But there wasn't enough time to waste in cleaning the weapon he'd soon have to throw into the river anyways.

Hiding the knife deep in cloak, the assassin paused to recall how much time had passed. Not even a half an hour had passed. The night was late and the part of town was a slow and dead one; it would be a while until this body was found. Honestly, he would have preferred to dispose of it in the woods where no one would find it but size-wise; he was in no position to carry out such a task.

This deserted street would be his resting place and like many other victims, it would not have a grave for quite some time.

Turning around, the assailant silently began to make distance between the dead and him. You never know- things could go wrong.

Step, step… calm and light footsteps echoed ever so silently to his sensitive ears.

Step-step, step, step-step… A second pair mixed with his. But he wasn't worried as a second figure pulled along side next him, walking ever so calmly and naturally next to the killer.

"You're getting better." The other walker announced extravagantly, turning his navy, hooded head towards him.

There was a brief silence, as the two allowed the could-be conversation to settle in. He let out short, confident laugh to start his end of the conversation. "I don't know what you mean." He replied softly as they stopped in front of an old building.

Its windows were layered with dust, an old sign that read 'Ar ory' was on the front. Obviously, the M had fallen down long ago.

The second speaker also laughed louder and more confidently. "Your victims, they don't even scream anymore." He complimented, patting him gently on the shoulder and slipping into the ancient and abandoned armory.

Once again, silence fell.

The could be conversation? It wasn't meant to be apparently.

Taking the compliment to heart, he paused before he followed the other in. That was a compliment… And what he had done was for a greater cause. He fought back the urge to look at his hands. _Don't be a sadistic bastard. _He told himself as raised a hand to his dark hood.

If I need to kill to protect my… He stopped the thought. He wasn't protecting anything. He corrected, as he pulled the hood back.

Shaking his head slightly to have his messy brown hair settle a bit, the young face of an assassin was revealed.

He couldn't be any older then the age of seventeen, and that was pushing it quite honestly.

"Weeeell?" The second one called impatiently from inside. "Don't just stand outside all night."

Blue eyes took a sudden interest in the missing M on the front window before he stepped inside. A rusty old bell jingled hollowly as the door shut behind him.

The other one had already settled in, leaning against a crate of wooden spears casually. His navy cloak was thrown onto the floor next to him revealing that he was probably around the age of eighteen. Unkempt blue hair fell over dark brown eyes, the attire of a thief and assassin was worn on his willowy figure.

"Welcome home, dear." He teased, grinning amusingly.

"Very funny." He mumbled, pulling out the still sort of bloody knife from the mysterious depths of the assassin's cloak.

"I didn't see anything!" He pretended to plead, raising a curious brow to see what he would do with the murder weapon.

It didn't take long to find another crate full of old knives against the wall.

"Hiding it in plain sight?" The blue haired boy asked.

"What do you think, Azule?" Came the sarcastic response as he slide the knife underneath another in the rusted and worthless pile.

"Naaah!" The blue haired boy exclaimed, making an X in the air with his hands and shaking his head. "You don't call me Azule and I don't call you---!" He began.

"Call me what?" He shot back and his blue eyes seem to grow a little bit darker.

"It's Fate." He mumbled under his breath, choosing to back down.

And he laughed.

"What's so funny!" Fate snapped, obviously confused.

"I wouldn't hurt you, Fate." He laughed good naturedly, settling down in front of the blue haired assassin.

Fate's mouth dropped, his expression staring blankly at the other. "If you want to play mind games, I can play them too!" He replied, glaring at him though his mouth was smiling.

A half smile played on his features. "I owe too much to even think about hurting you." He frowned.

This was just what he needed to hear. His ego seemed to go up, and Fate's smile grew. "You got that right, Rumour!" He agreed, sitting up a little taller just to look down on the younger boy.

"Weiss." He replied simply.

"But its only _formal_ to call each other by our _other_ names." Fate answered smartly. "Unless we're going to kill each other…" He added playfully at the end.

"Fine, but _I'm just saying_." He added forcefully. "We knew each other _before_ those names…"

"But you weren't killing people in the name of Bern back then, were you?" Came Fate's smart reply.

Once again, silence fell. The type that falls when one doesn't want to answer.

Leaning forward, Fate frowned ever so slightly. "We're high ranking assassins right now, we don't have pasts. And, let's not forget, you're one of Bern's greatest spies now, Rumour."

Bern's greatest spy…? Well, that's what everyone said…

"Assassins aren't allowed to have pasts." Fate explained calmly. "The spies Fate and Rumour are assassins that have no pasts to hold them down, no pasts to connect them to each other. If another country like Lycia was to find out who Rumour really is…was; it'll only be that much easier to find you… But like that's going to happen anyways." He added to the side. "Got it?"

Rumour frowned slightly. "Yeah. I don't know you, and you don't know me." He replied, giving his older friend the answer he wanted to hear.

"That's better." Fate replied, leaning back and now satisfied.

And for what felt like the one hundredth time, silence fell.

Rumour was the first to speak.

"When are you leaving?" He asked curiously.

"Hm?" Fate replied, feigning ignorance.

"You never come to see me when I'm on a mission… unless you get on and have to go." He said, shrugging slightly as if he was state the obvious.

"Oh yeah…weeell…" Fate began, leaning backwards against his crate. "It's just a simple assassination really. Apparently, there's some Lord causing trouble."

"Sounds pretty big." Rumour complimented.

He shrugged. "Yeah, well… I'd hate to screw up." He laughed weakly.

"You won't." Rumour insisted. "You're not the type of person to mess up; I wouldn't have followed you around like a kitten back then."

"Auugh!" Fate whined. "I hated when you did that!" He laughed.

"Hahah… but you never answered my question." Rumour replied, switching from one topic back to the earlier one.

Returning to a business like attitude, Fate sat up straight. "Well, if I want to get there in time, I'll have to leave now."

"Fun…" The brown haired boy replied sarcastically.

Once again, the conversation had died.

Outside, a stray cat mewed and crickets chirped. Inside, they watched the moonlight's shadows move ever so slowly as the night grew later and later.

"Well, I'm gonna get a head start and leave now." Fate announced, getting up lazily and pulling his cloak back over his shoulders.

And Rumour merely nodded his head understandingly.

"Well… See ya." The blue haired boy began, opening the door and allowing fresh moonlight to flood into the room.

That had to be a joke. "Yeah." Rumour replied simply. "See you when I do. Stay out of trouble."

Raising a hand signaling good bye, the blue haired assassin was gone. And the other didn't bother watching him go. It was the same thing the last time, and the time before that… It was the same thing… Nothing special.

After all, Fate and Rumour didn't know each other.

* * *

EN: Quick thanks to my two reviewers. –laughs- 

None of your Business : omg, the first review. –gasp- and when this becomes an award medal winning #1 New York best seller, you'll have something to brag about! Thanks a lot for the review and compliments and I hope I don't let you down with this chapter. -laughs weakly-

Awierdguy : Thanks for the comment AND the favorite. Made my ego go up just a little bit with that favorite. I'm glad to say this isn't a one shot. If I decide not to be lazy and everything goes as planned, there'll be one chapter for each chapter in Lyn's story plus a few extra.


	3. Make People Talk

**Nintendo Lawyer** says : _EtsukoNino does not own Fire Emblem_.

**EtsukoNino** says:_ Rumour, Fate, and that occasional random OC belong to me._

AN: ...This isn't one of my better chapters, I'll admit that. Thanks for all the reviews and I hope I still get them. -laughs weakly-

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Chapter Three - Make People Talk

For a town in the middle of the Bernese mountains, Reims was a small but busy village, Rumour noted, making his way through the crowds of travelers.

It was strange for him to be in such a crowded town on _these_ terms. Most of the time, the spy would handle this sort of thing in quieter, more isolated places where there was little chance of people over hearing but he guessed the fact this place was so crowded would keep people from making out a quiet conversation.

Now, what was this spy doing in the middle of Merchant-Town?

Well, shortly after speaking with Fate, he had headed straight back to the capital. Because, when it came down to it, Rumour was different from other spies in the sense he lacked a social life outside of work. Rumour was young and talented thus, most of the other spies he met with tended to be much older then him, with the exception of Fate who was four years older. But since Fate was off on assignment…

Well, it didn't matter, he told himself. It was hard to go out for a drink like most other spies without having the barmaids and bartenders shoo him out for being under aged. 'They didn't give drinks to children, now run back home before you miss curfew.' They would always say, in which the young spy would curse himself for not hitting his growth spurt like most people did in thier life.

It was quite annoying having people talk to him like he was a fourteen year old. He was sixteen! It wasn't his fault he was so… well, to put it bluntly: short.

Back on subject, Rumour had gone back to the capital to take another mission to kill time. In the two weeks he had to himself, he was assigned two missions, each one with one thing in common: Execution.

He hadn't heard about it seeing how most of his missions were strictly assassinations rather then information gathering. But like Fate had said, there was a Lord causing trouble for the network.

Apparently, there was a Lord exploiting the greedy part in all people. Yes, this lord was buying spies from Bern, or to be more exact, their loyalty. To date, they had lost seventeen talented spies to the lord.

This was considered and act of treason, and the penalty was death. Rumour had already taken care of three of them, and adding the two he had just finished, it would make a lucky number of five.

Today, Rumour was to accept his third mission.

There were no clues as to what it was, he was simply told to "go to Reims and someone would give the mission there. Oh and, don't get scammed or anything while you're there." He still didn't know if the last bit was a warning or a joke.

He raised a brow, noticing how the crowd seemed to be thinning out around him. H-he didn't look out of place, did he? He had been instructed to leave his assassin tools and uniform back at the capital for special reasons but…

"They found another body." The spy heard people whisper.

"This time it's a blonde girl." "This is going to be bad for business…" "It's the third one this month!"

Taking this as a sign, the spy began to listen carefully to what the people had to say as he walked by. He had a feeling this was probably the mission he would have to take. By the sounds of it, it was probably a serial killer or something on the loose, maybe killing young women…

"Who was it this time?" Rumour heard someone whisper quietly to someone else. He narrowed the voices down to two men whispering to each other next to giant rock formation of some sort. It didn't take a genius to figure the conversation was supposed to be secret.

"The face was pretty bad, but I think its Verde." The second man replied. He was a man with silvery, blonde hair and what looked like gray-blue eyes.

The other man cursed before addressing the man again. "Name to whom?" He sighed in what sounded like some very bad English.

Without realizing, Rumour had stopped walking. He was openly eavesdropping on the duo, but maybe in the small crowd they wouldn't see him. Name to whom? was a common term used when a spy dies. It simply meant what was the spy's real name was and who to notify…

"'Mint' and to her to her parents. They live in Evert I think." The silver haired man answered.

Rumour wondered if his mouth had dropped open. This Verde was a Bernese spy that had just been killed, wasn't she? He waited for the conversation to go on.

There was a brief silence, and the two men wore solemn faces before the other man spoke again, "Waiting for someone? We could probably get a drink after I…--"

"Just the person who's going to handle things." The silver haired man cut off. "But I'll meet you later." He winked.

With a nod and a disappointed shake of his head, the other man was gone.

Stretching casually, the silver haired spy yawned. "They call me Quartz." He announced lazily.

It took a minute or so for Rumour to figure it was him he was talking to.

"Another traitor?" Rumour asked quietly, inquiring the reason of death.

"Elemine, no!" Quartz replied defensively. "She was a good one… one of _them_ probably got her though…" He offered an explanation and spoke with great spite towards the murderers.

The spy frowned, trying to get the possible mission to click in his mind.

"Hm, so I guess you're here to take her mission then." Quartz sighed, shaking his head weakly. "Our veteran spies can't even make it…"

"I'm not a kid." Rumour pointed out offensively.

The older spy raised a curious brow, and continued. "This is the third body we found in this particular village." He explained.

"I've heard." Rumour added, listening intently. He figured Quartz was one of those social spies that would talk and give a bunch of useless information before getting to the point.

"They've found two in the Taliver mountains and two bodies have even been found in Sacae." Quartz shook his head once again after the sentence. "Most of our best are either with Lycia or dead now. Lycia seems to have the better half, it's a shame…"

Despite trying to keep quiet, Rumour's personally feelings on the manner had to be spoken. "It's annoying." Rumour complained. He hated those professional missions where he had to track down another professional. They were never simple and were always a mess to clean up after.

Quartz laughed slightly at Rumour's childish outburst. "It's awful how they're being discarded though. Their faces are completely ruined, I guess to keep us from identifying the body. Once, they even went as far as to gouge out the eyes to hide the eye color. Mica, Destiny, Fate, Lust, Verde, Rain… they all deserve better I think-."

"Fate?" Rumour repeated quietly.

"What? Oh… oh! Yes, Fate. A great loss to us it was…" The silver haired man answered, letting his voice trail off at the end. It dawned on him that perhaps the two knew each other. He chose to stay quiet and let the information settle.

Blue eyes took a sudden interest in the ground, staring unblinkingly at the cobblestone. Glazing over slightly from not blinking, the spy remained silent.

Fate… Azule was… dead?

Despite the fact he hadn't eaten, the young spy felt like he had eaten something bad that was trying to come out his mouth. He could feel the color just drain out of his face and he was holding his breath.

He didn't feel empty. He actually felt like a glass of water that had been left in the sun. That fresh and crisp feeling of life seemed to disappear. It was warm and felt bad in the mouth. Not quite disgusting, but not good either. He felt… stale.

Quartz coughed quietly, giving the young spy an edgy look. A silent way of saying enough of the emotions, you have work to do.

"Sorry," Rumour mumbled. His mouth felt dry, and he licked his lips before continuing. "What am I supposed to do?"

"It's okay." The older spy replied understandingly. "We're not going to make the same mistake again. We can't afford to lose anymore of our people. Would you believe if I told you this entire incident has the Black Fang looking down on us? The _Black Fang_. A bunch of…" He chose not to finish the sentence. "We need to get rid of the problem. Its just... hurting the good ego, you know?"

Biting his tongue, Rumour nodded his head, seeing where this was going. "You're passing their mission onto me then." He figured.

The silver haired man nodded. "This will be the first time you've left Bern, won't it?" He noted.

_Yeah_.

Extracting a folded piece of paper from his pocket, Quartz handed it to the younger spy. "It's a map that'll get you to where you need to go." He explained as Rumour unfolded the yellowed map. It was simply a map of Lycia with Bern's boarder to the side. "It's a Lycian map."

"So I'm going to Lycia?" Rumour inquired.

"Right there to be exact." Quartz added, pointing a place in the center of the map. "Despite what everyone says, it isn't the Maruqess that's causing trouble. Its his _brother_. Just kill this guy and you can come back. But listen, if you get caught, they _will_ kill you." He warned.

Rumour nodded his head slightly. "This guy's been causing a lot of problems…" He thought absent mindedly.

"Uh-huh." Quartz agreed solemnly. "Personally, I think if he lives, there'll be more problems coming from him. This is a very important mission." He explained, stressing very and important.

Folding the map back, he placed it in his pocket. "I'll get going now." He announced, which was obviously the answer Quartz wanted to hear.

Quartz smiled proudly. It was good to see that this one was still with them. "Don't screw up."

It was like a de ja vu gone wrong.

"… I won't." Rumour replied, hoping he sounded confident, apparently he sounded confident enough because Quartz seemed to stand a little taller.

"Get it right," Quartz mused. "Make people talk about you when you when you come back."

Forcing a weak smile, it was the best he could do for now and the spy was on his way to Lycia.

He was going to Lycia… In a few days, he would be at his destination.

He would be in Caelin.

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_To My Reviewers,_

Thewatcherandreader: First things first, thanks for the comment. Secondly, I'm glad you thought it was good! And don't worry, I plan on updating!

wIlloFoNe792: Personally, I think its going to become a good story. But that's just my opinion, I hope I can write up to expectation. –laughs- And I'll keep updating until I... can't.

Dairokkan: I never thought of it that way, but that's a good mix! I actually added a line from Samurai X into the story. –laughs- Feel free to use the idea for evil. 'cuz y'know everyone loves a good villain.

Awierdguy: Yes, the tactician needs a past! Well… the idea is for this to not become… _angsty _angsty. I like your writing, its got humor innit and it's a shame it doesn't have more reviews. In other words, continue. If the first person, third person thing really annoys you, you can always rewrite it. But delete it and I'll have Rumour kill you while'st you sleep.


	4. Loyalties and Conspiracies

**Nintendo Laywer** says: EtsukoNino does not own Fire Emblem.

**EtsukoNino **says: I only own Rumour, Fate, and the random other OC. Of course... I could say a few things about _FE:PoR_ and some freakish coincidences... -sued in court-

AN: Sorry it took so long for another update… I won't tell my sob story, but I have to add, I strongly dislike Spanish... I really, _really_ do dislike Spanish...

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Chapter Four - Loyalties and Conspiracies 

It was a quiet place- not overly crowded but with just enough people to satisfy anyone. The people seemed to be in a good mood for some reason or another…It would be best to find out why and get in the loop.

There was no point holding onto this map any longer… Rumour thought, holding the tanned piece of parchment hesitantly in one hand.

It would be easy getting back to Bern from Caelin now that he knew the route…

But then again, it could come in handy… Or worse, this map could spill out important information some how. The world was a strange place full of intelligent people in the most unlikely of places. All it took was for the wind to blow the map in the right direction and everyone could be after a spy…

Maybe he was just over reacting… but something in the back of his mind kept on nagging at him to keep the map despite the fact he didn't need it anymore. _Don't draw attention to yourself… above all, don't be seen…_

He wasn't the type to hold onto things he didn't need so why did this piece of paper annoy him so much?

Whatever the reason, he chose to hold onto the map. Something told him he would need it in the future.

So, this was Caelin?

As earlier stated, everyone seemed to be a good mood, he felt almost guilty knowing that soon they would be grieving soon.

Pulling the hood of his brown cloak over his messy brown hair, the spy made his way swiftly through the well-provided cover of the Lycian crowd.

The greatest difference between Lycia and Bern? Lycia was much more relaxed- maybe it was one of the benefits that came from living in a nation not ruled by a strict military power. Not that he was complaining- it only made it that much easier to come to the gates of Castle Caelin.

There was no way this could get any easier, the spy thought, putting his lock picks aside when he realized the gate wasn't even shut- let alone locked.

He remembered hearing from travelers that the defenses of House Ostia rivaled those of Bern Manor. He allowed his thoughts to stray as he imagined getting into Lycia's greatest stronghold… Actually, most travelers spoke highly of House Ostia- he'd have to see if it could meet his expectations some day…

The servants inside seemed to be busy with something or another. Many were running around, cleaning rooms, and moving things. Picking a few things up here and there, the spy learned someone of status was coming. Who? It honestly wasn't important, something was going on outside.

Everyone was gathering in front of the great castle doors-- leaving the inside (and the back door) open to the allusive foreigner.

And now, to find something to wear…

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All of Castle Caelin was in a cheerful mood. And they had every good reason to be- their kind, Lord Haussen had announced he had a grand daughter! Yes, on the outside everyone was talking about how many years ago, he told all of Caelin that he didn't even have a daughter. Being the gossiping, critical people the public is known for of course they had many harsh words.

But that didn't change anything inside the castle. Lord Haussen was a grandfather! And his beautiful daughter Madelyn would be coming with her husband (that _Sacaen_ nomad) and the grandchild that had made their lord so happy. To ensure their safe return to their rightful home, Lord Haussen had even sent his most trusted cavaliers to escort her.

"Sain!" Kent snapped, grabbing his womanizing friend by the back of his collar and sighing heavily.

"Alas! O beauteous maiden, I must leave for now!" The brown haired cavalier exclaimed in an over dramatic manner, and a lovely young maid whined ever so slightly to see her knight be dragged off by an uptight (but equally charming) young man. "Such a sad and-- oof!" Sain gasped as this time his comrade and his horse nudged the womanizer. "All right, I'm going…" He mumbled, fighting back the urge to pout in the presence of such beauty.

"Oh, Sir Sain, I'll be waiting!" She called dreamily, obviously won over by the cavalier's charm.

Kent turned his attention to an elderly man, dressed in rich robes. The elderly man stood weakly and needed the help of another man to keep from falling over. The light from the sun made his head feel light.

"Will you be well, Milord Haussen?" Kent asked worriedly.

Haussen laughed weakly, coughing at the end. "I'll be fine, Kent." He replied calmly. "Just bring my daughter and her… family back safely." He insisted. Family… ah… He felt just a little bit stronger thinking of it.

Kent frowned ever so slightly, and tugged gently at the reins of his horse. "Sain! Let's go!" He called.

"Coming, coming." He complained, getting on his horse in a showy manner as to impress his onlookers.

The green knight flashed a charming smile at the maid as he guided his horse to follow Kent. "You should loosen up, Kent!" He pouted once they were out of sight.

"Do you even know who she is?" Kent lectured, ignoring the looks his own admirers gave him as they made their way out of Caelin.

"But of course I know her!" Sain scoffed. "She is a dear maiden who is not a servant, but a Lady of status! She must be for her hair is like gold and her eyes are like crown jewels!"

Kent decided to drown out the sound of his comrade's over-poetic language. Disappointedly, Kent shook his head. It was going to be a long journey…

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Lundgren watched grimly as the two cavaliers set out on their little journey. Oh, the two cavaliers who would bring home a _princess_… It annoyed him how one letter had ruined everything for him.

"Is something wrong, milord?" A voice asked. There was a second person in the room with him, leaning lazily over a dusty piano with a playful smile on his face.

"Methinks the Lordship's plan is falling apart." A second chimed from in front of a heavy bookshelf.

A thin line was fixed on the Caelin Lord's lips. These Bernese spies… really knew how to push their luck. "Aron." He called, his voice hinting at something.

"Aye, aye." The second spy sighed, "More poison. Got it." He mumbled as he slipped out of the room and into the hall.

"And…" Lundgren began but the remaining spy cut him off.

"Not fast enough?" He replied lazily, still wearing that soft, thoughtful smile. Lundgren interpreted it as some sort of… confidence… intelligence that annoyed and seemed to silently challenge his patience.

Lundgren would not let this foreign dog win. After all, it was this sort of spirit that never ceased to amuse him. The ignorant spirit of one who cannot even hope to win. "And you have a plan?" The lord chuckled, playing along with the foreigner.

Sitting up, the spy continued to wear his silent smile. "Poison is a bit too slow for my tastes… so about Aron…"

Lundgren leaned forward; the spy had caught his attention. Aron was a talented like all the other spies he had bought, but sensing where the conversation was leading, the lord smiled wickedly. Yes… he was talented, but it didn't mean he was irreplaceable.

"We don't really need him, do we?" The spy mused, refusing to get to the point.

He was answered with a dark glare from the older Lord. Obviously Lundgren wasn't in a chatty mood… but that didn't stop him.

"I don't care much for Aron really… and you don't care much for _Lord_ Haussen either." The spy drawled on, even slowing down his speech just to see Lundgren's eyes flash murderously in his direction. "We both have things we do and don't want, so let's meet each other _halfway_." He opened his mouth to say more, but something seemed to distract him.

"Get on with it." Lundgren hissed, wishing he had his lance with him. He had no time for these games… But this was a sensitive matter…

The spy shook his head. His instincts were telling him to hurry up. "Touchy, _touchy_." He added sarcastically before continuing and he sounded rushed. "You need your brother to go- but poison works too slow. I don't need… _competition_ and every conspiracy loves a _scapegoat_."

A rare smile formed on Lundgren's lips. As much as this one pressed his luck, he was certainly a good find. He didn't have to say anything.

"I feel sort of… guilty. Everyone's just so _happy_ right now…" The spy sighed over dramatically. "It's a shame they'll be grieving this time tomorrow."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Oblivious to the company, they were being listened to.

Silently, the person snuck down the grand hall- away from the only locked door in all the castle.

The funny thing about doors- sometimes it's like they aren't even there…

* * *

_To My Reviewers,_

Awierdguy: Ahahah, Daisy isn't going to save you from Rumour. Ah well, he's busy on another mission anyways. -winks-

Thewatcherandreader: That's a very good question. I didn't think about it until your brought it up. I originally planned to just keep going, but if the story goes well enough, a sequel might not be a bad idea...

Dairokkan: It's terrible when a story has a bad villain. It's like, "They went through all that trouble to kill _that_ guy?" I want to try and keep that from happening here, but I've honestly never written a chapter with a 'true villain.' Wish me luck?

wIlloFoNe792: Ahah, now that testing is over and Spanish teachers leave me alone, I'll be able to keep updating until I can! The next chapter will actually be up next week(hopefully).


	5. Where Loyalties Lie

EN: Yet another update that got delayed because of school… This chapter is longer then usual. I wanted to make it long since this might be my last update for the year. (eek) Things… happen… and I've been wanting to write the ending of this chapter for awhile.

And thanks for telling me about the right spelling for "Hausen", I knew something looked off. -laughs weakly-

* * *

Chapter 5: Where Loyalties Lie

* * *

After a short, detailed analysis of what he knew about Castle Caelin and what he had seen, Rumour inferred the best way to get rid of Lundgren would be in his sleep.

It was so classic. So simple. It had been a while since he had performed a silent kill like this. Most of the time he was tracking down professional assassins, serial killers; those crazy people that were already on the run for their lives. It was such a pain have to track them down.

If there was truly one thing Rumour hated, it was _professional_ killings. Always so messy, so much work, so unpredictable…

If this went according to plan…

_Don't get overconfident._ The spy scolded as he threw a blue shirt over his head and examined it in a mirror. It fitted well enough, maybe it was just a little big but it wasn't like the clothes belonged to him.

He loved how these maids just left their laundry all over the cleaning rooms. Every hour he spent in Lycia was just getting easier, wasn't it?

And now that he was dressed in Caelin uniform he wouldn't have to sneak around like-- well, he _was a_ _spy_ and he would get in trouble if he was caught…

He ruffled his brown hair after deciding he didn't like how it looked in the mirror. He was surprised to see that the ruffled look made him look like he was working hard somewhere.

"You there!" Someone called from down the hall. It was a fairly attractive young woman with red hair which was tucked behind her ears. "The cook needs someone to go shopping." She explained, presenting him with a decent length list; her eyes silently examining the new boy.

Rumour blinked as he stared at the paper. Mint… rosemary… some strange word he probably wouldn't be able to pronounce to save his life… cream… the list went on and on naming all sorts of ingredients for what looked like a feast.

His mouth watered. He envied how all Lords ate so well and at their own leisure. It contrasted so much to him, the great assassin Rumour who was still underpaid and couldn't eat a decent meal without suspecting poison.

"Well?" The girl nagged, placing both hands at her hips and staring the boy down.

Rumour stepped back. Something about this woman intimidated him… a lot. Then again he always did have a problem with women…

"What're you staring at?" She snapped. "Don't you know its rude to stare?-!" She lectured.

The words hit him like an assassin's killing move. "S-sorry!" He stammered, silently scorning himself for being weak.

"Well…? Get going! Move it!" She ordered, shooing the Bernese spy-turned-errand-boy towards the door.

What? He was afraid of this Caelin woman? …His ego was hurting just a little bit.

_Such a push over…_ He scolded himself.

_I'm just… getting in character…_! His ego corrected. Yeah… that's right, getting in character and soon he would be himself again. In just a few hours… a few more hours and Lundgren would be asleep.

He was later scolded for being too slow with his errands.

* * *

Rubbing the side of his head and gingerly massaging his skull, the spy blinked away mist from his eyes. Oh… it had been awhile since anyone ever scolded him. He didn't know how to react.

Should he stay silent and not say a word or nod his head and say yes? Not knowing what to do, he was too slow with his decision. The cook was angered, thinking that the new boy was a cocky brat that needed to be taught a lesson before he screwed something up. When Rumour failed to answer his questions, the cook grabbed a handful of his messy brown hair and forced the boy to nod his head yes with each sentence.

It didn't last long but… when was the last time anyone ever touched him in such a manner?

Complaining silently to himself he didn't even realize how pathetically childish he must have looked. Whatever happened to that dark, shadowy assassin that brought death to all who opposed him? Was he really just a child?

He remembered how in Bern all the spies would talk at this bar. He wasn't allowed to go because he didn't look like he was sixteen. He remembered how they would laugh when he said he was fifteen but certainly old enough to go with the others. They would laugh and tell him to go to bed like all the other twelve year olds were doing at the hours.

"Idiots…" He mumbled childishly to himself. He would have continued with his curses but he felt his small body run into another. Who was it now? Another sheltered servant who wouldn't last a minute in Bern?

"Sorry." The other person apologized quickly.

Rumour had a feeling that who ever the person was was planning to say something more but stopped for some reason or another. "Sorry…." Rumour mumbled quickly in response, trying to move on. He didn't feel like associating with people right now. He told himself he had a person to kill.

Meanwhile, the other person watched Rumour's back silently. "What's _he_ doing here?" A smile formed on his lips and he shivered with excitement.

* * *

It was almost midnight when Aron got to work on the poison.

Now, Aron was a decent spy but he was nothing compared to those _top _spies. Oh no, Aron didn't even dream of being in the same league as them.

Spies like Rumour and Quartz only looked down on little spies like him.

He was struggling as a spy. He had screwed up in one mission and actually lost an eye which he hid behind blonde bangs. He was handicapped and the Network looked down on people like him. Ever since then, he had been on a downwards spiral. No one wanted to hire a handicapped spy-- especially a _blind_ one.

But everything changed when he came to Caelin. It was a simple enough mission, just gather information and report back. Apparently even a blind man could handle it.

Ah, but Lundgren offered him a chance. A promotion, a chance to be on top… He would have everything in Lycia. Lundgren gave him a chance, and Aron was not going to let it go away. He was so close to being on top! All he had to do was get rid of that newcomer…

And yes. Maybe they did act friendly and look like the ideal partners to some of those other spies but in truth they smiled at each other but didn't trust anyone at all.

Hah, that new guy had even gone as far as to say Bern was sending some very high ranking spies to take care of business in Caelin. The idiot even claimed that _Rumour_ was coming to Caelin.

_Hahah, very funny._ He thought, knowing that Rumour was too important of a spy to send out of the country. After all, Rumour was probably protecting the King of Bern himself from assassins. Why would they send him to Lycia? Didn't they have lower spies to do that work for him?

"Rumour, eh?" Aron asked, pulling a small bottle from his cloak. It was a poison he had gotten from a sage, a poison that was odorless, tasteless, and colorless. The spy had mixed it with some other things to make the poison stronger for tonight. Tonight, Lord Hausen would be dead. Shaking the contents of the bottle, the spy reached for a suitable cup. He was careful to stay away from the silver since it changed colors with poison.

Mixing poisons was a work of art to him. It was so simple… silent… effective… the results depended on what you mixed with it. "The great Rumour wouldn't live more then an hour if he had this." He chuckled, mixing poisoned medicine into the bronze cup.

The preparations were complete. All he had to do now was deliver the poison to Lundgren so he could give it to Hausen.

If he killed Hausen, he would be the top spy in Caelin… "Caelin's top spy…" He whispered, testing it out for himself.

"I take it things have been well then…"

Aron stopped in his tracks. The voice wasn't familiar to him… He could have sworn he was alone!

"You might not have any honor-" The voice continued and something wrapped itself around Aron's neck.

Aron dropped the poison and suddenly he felt cold. Words spilled into his mind. _Death. Traitor. Die. Murder._

"But at least you can die _happy_ then," Rumour whispered, pulling his knife across the traitor's neck in an upwards angle. He could feel the blood spray on his hands as he pulled them away- letting the body drop limply to the ground. "Right?"

He wasn't dead yet… and it was just like the assassin had planned. Rumour took a minute to kneel next to the traitorous spy. He used Aron's own robes to clean his killing blade.

Aron's eyes moved left and right, trying to see where his assailant would move to next. He could feel his cloak moving, he could hear his murderer's footsteps running past him-- dripping blood from his sleeves as he left the traitorous spy for dead.

He was going to die. He was going to die without honor and never reaching his goal.

The shadows around him seemed to grow darker. His eyes felt heavy…

Aron died with his eyes open, his dark eyes glazed over and staring at the exact spot Rumour had walked down.

* * *

The moon was just a half circle in the sky, leaning at an angle that looked like it was about to tip over at any moment. The window that divided the moon from the man was moist from where the cool night air met the warm air of inside.

The fire burning in the fire place was starting to go out and was reduced to a few bright embers. However, it did give off a warm sort of glow that illuminated the darkness and made the shadows dance on the floor.

Lundgren waited impatiently for Aron. Gah, that bumbling spy… no wonder Bern had been so quick to drop him. Useless, pathetic foreigners… But it didn't matter, if the plan went accordingly, he wouldn't have to bother anymore.

Next to him, on a mount was his silver lance. He noted that it needed cleaning…

Tip, tap…

His ears caught the sound of light footsteps and he turned away from the light. As the door handle began to turn downwards and the great wooden door opened, Lundgren scowled bitterly, "It's about time."

The brown haired boy at the door tucked one arm behind his back.

"You…Who are you? What are you doing here?" Lundgren sneered, glowering at the boy who was obviously a servant of some sort.

The Caelin lord received no words from the stranger.

The sound of embers crackling and popping in the fire place filled the silence along with another peculiar sound.

Lundgren had to strain his ears while watching the boy to make it out. It sounded sort of sloshy; wet but solid. It sounded like… water dripping on a thick, damp cloth of some sort. He remembered that the corridors were floored with a thick carpet.

Yes, it sounded like the carpet was wet; slowly taking in more and more of whatever was dripping onto it…

For the boy, it felt he had been standing without action for forever.

Lundgren's brow creased as the realization dawned on him. His mind went back to his silver lance which was probably just within his reach. The Lord opened his mouth to speak and stall time.

"Say something."

Lundgren's voice left him.

Behind his back, Rumour switched his dagger from one hand to the other. Pulling his hands to his sides, his elbows raised ever so slightly in a pre-fighting stance, the spy watched the Lord cautiously. "Say something. Scream. Give me a reason to do something." He taunted, taking the first step of a quick dash towards the Lord.

Lundgren jumped back and to the side, gaining extra speed from… was this fear? No, Lundgren corrected. He was merely caught by surprise. Either way, he had gained just enough distance to grab his Silver Lance.

Rumour swerved to the side, standing just out of range of the now armed Lord.

_Spears have an advantage against swords…_ Rumour noted, searching for an opening that the Caelin noble refused to give. He gritted his teeth. If this troublesome man wouldn't show an opening, he would make one.

In what most would call a reckless charge, the assassin was in front of Lundgren before he could even think of an attack.

He blocked with his lance, placing it at an angle to also block a kick that was most likely meant to stun him in some way or another.

Lundgren's eyes were wide with surprise. "You're very skilled." The noble complimented, as he pushed the spy off of him using his great strength to knock the lighter assailant back a few feet. "How would you like to---."

The spy recovered quickly, lunging forward only to feint to the right. "You're about to die." Rumour explained breathlessly, slicing at Lundgren's side. The Lord staggered back from the light injury, stunned. "Stop worrying about my skill and worry about your life!" The brown haired boy moved in to take advantage of his shock and make an opening for a killing move.

It was desperate move, he knew it, but Lundgren threw his lance like a spear knowing that he was throwing away his only means of defense.

The spy jumped back, nimbly dodging the attack. This was it; time to finish things off---.

Rumour's body suddenly lurched forward, his eyes wide with shock. "W-wha…?"He gasped, staggering forward and leaning against a desk for support.

His back… it hurt… This indescribable pain was running up and down his spine all the way up to his head. His shirt suddenly felt thick and heavy with moisture. He was… in pain.

"Good job." He heard Lundgren announce confidently. Rumour forced his head up to see where the Lord was going. A surge of pain ran down his back as he did so. He… he had to kill Lundgren. That was the mission… he couldn't screw up.

_What the hell just happened?_ He thought dumbfounded, watching as the noble stepped next to the spy. _Now_. He thought, trying to make one last attack towards the intended victim.

Lundgren laughed and kicked the spy. Rumour fell to the ground, on his back of all places. He made a strange sound, like a dog that had just been struck, as he hit the floor. "So this is Bern's greatest?" Lundgren drawled, looking down on the crippled assassin.

Rumour gasped for breath. He didn't understand… why did this hurt so much? It felt like he had just been stabbed, but there was no way it could have hurt this much. He felt like his skin was on fire, like he had something crawling through his veins eating at him from the inside. The only thing he could think of was… "Poison." He stammered.

"Hurry up and kill him." Lundgren ordered, "Make this one _special_." He added. Bern's greatest spy, eh? Heh… heheh, he felt like laughing. What would Bern do now? Not even their best could get rid of him. Hah, Lundgren of Caelin had beat an entire country!

A foot tapped the suffering spy in his side. "Yeah," A second voice agreed.

Rumour suddenly felt sick.

_'Their faces are completely ruined, I guess to keep us from identifying the body. Once, they even went as far as to gouge out the eyes to hide the eye color.' _

_Not just the bodies._ Rumour thought miserably, not wanting to believe the thoughts forming in his mind. But _so we don't know who the traitors are… _

"Yeah," The voice said again, sounding pleased with the situation. "I'll treat this one _real _special." He chuckled.

Rumour turned his head; he could feel blood from his back on his neck. Come to think of it… he felt it all over him. Was he bleeding that bad, or was he sweating from this poisoned fever?

"Hey, Weiss." The speaker greeted casually, a smile forming on his lips as he watched the spy's eyes flash with emotion.

Weiss choked as he searched for the words to say. _You faked your death…_ **"Fate."**

The smile on his face widened ever so slightly. "Don't worry; I'll make sure people know who you are." He insisted. He stepped on the downed spy's throat. "They need to know who you are." He added, placing pressure on the tender neck.

"That way when I hear that they found the body of Bern's greatest spy," He explained, increasing the pressure. "I can say, 'Oh, I did that.'" He sneered, placing his weight on Rumour's neck and watching as Rumour struggled for breath.

Struggling, Rumour gasped for breath but his eyes were fixed on the face of the boy who was supposed to be his friend. The look in his eyes… he was really trying to kill him, wasn't he? But why? _Why…?_

"I hate you," Fate confessed. "Both Weiss and Rumour."

Suddenly the struggling came to an end. Rumour closed his eyes.

In the background, Lundgren watched the blue haired murderer with satisfaction. "Lord Lundgren?" The voice of another asked. It was yet another one of Lundgren's bought spies.

"We got rid of Aron. What do you want us to do with this one?"

"Well, Fate?" Lundgren inquired.

"Just get rid of it."

_"But it's only formal to call each other by our other names. Unless we're going to kill each other…"_


	6. Hero

Chapter Six: Hero

_Just get rid of it._

Those were the orders, weren't they? It was simple enough, the two men in charge of disposing the bodies of both Aron and Rumour were glad, this meant they got to decide how far they wanted to go to get rid of the dead weight.

Lundren and Fate were quick to add more after realizing what had been said. _Make sure it's not in Caelin. Away from Ostia. Closer to the Bern boarder but not too close to Pherae. The Marquess Ostia's younger brother was there visiting Lord Eliwood and it would be best to keep on Ostia's good side for now. So maybe a little further north then usual. Oh, but make sure someone will be able to find the body, got it?_

The traitors rolled their eyes, sighing heavily to themselves as they carried the lifeless bodies on the horses Lundren had leant just for this mission. Oh yeah, just get rid of it _but_… They thought, complaining at every chance they got. Bah, with Pherae and the near area off limits, it meant they weren't allowed to use their usual means.

Normally they would simple drop the bodies into one of the few rivers that actually flowed towards the mountains and go back to Caelin. But no, this time they had to walk all the way up another route, the mountain path, by foot.

"This is so annoying." One spy sniffed, recklessly dropping the body onto the ground. The horse whined, startled by the corpse.

"Really?" The other remarked. "He killed the guy, why can't he drop the body?" He explained, doing the same with the more important of the two bodies.

They exchanged glances and smiled. Despite the orders to leave Rumour's face untouched, it wasn't everyday you were able to humilate a _celebrity_, right?

They were about ready to grab their knives they heard the sound of something fumbling in the surrounding woodlands. The horses suddenly became uneasy and began kicking at the ground anxiously.

They heard more crunched footsteps, like a great group was approaching.

Weren't these mountains home to bandits?

The two spies refused to stay any longer.

----

Within minutes, a an archer and thief stepped out from the woods, carrying sturdy iron weapons and what looked like some rabbits in a bag. Judging by appearance, they were hunters of some sort.

"'Ay!" The archer exclaimed, seeing the bodies on the road.

"Elemine!" Another gasped, stumbling over his feet and dropping his bow.

"What is it, you two?" A third voice sighed, it was a voice of a young woman. Stepping around a thick bush, a girl with blue-gray hair got her gray robe snagged on a branch.Trying to get loose, she tore the simple fabric which made her clerical robes look uneven. "Ah…" She whispered, catching on to the two hunters.

"Don't just stand there!" The archer insisted. "Look at them! Check them!"

The thief, one with light brown hair was hesistant to search the bodies which were attracting flies from all the dry blood on them. Gingerly, he stepped around Aron, leaning over the body and placing his fingers gently against the side of his neck and wrist.

Feeling no pulse, the thief began to search through Aron's clothes. Well, it was a nice leather belt he had on. His clothes were filthy but maybe with a little cleaning, they could scrap something together.

Watching his comrade, the archer inferred that it was safe to begin a search the second body. The first thing he realized was the differences in both bodies. The one his friend was looking through was unidentable, but this one looked like he could be sleeping. Man, dead people scared him sometimes. He told himself, noting that he had to be dead. There was no color in his skin, his neck was swollen to the point it looked like it was broken and this one seemed to have more blood on him then the other.

"No chance in scrapping his clothes." The thief mumbled, finishing his search and watching the archer. "The stains will never come out."

The archer continued to search steadily and his hand brushed against the body's face. For a second he could have sworn he turned his head. The archer told himself if was only because he had hit him on accident. Kneeling over, the archer began to search through pockets. There was a map that was still usable even if it was a little bloody here and there and a few strange pieces of wire.

"Lockpicks." The thief explained, seeing the wire. "I'll take those." He announced, snatching them from the archer's hand.

"Bah," The archer scowled, continuing his search for something of actual value.

_Haaah… aaah…_

The archer's hair stood on edge as he felt a soft breeze. The wind blew the dry, blood encrusted cloak roughly, revealing that the deceased was wearing some sort of sheath at his side.

"What's this?" The archer thought outloud, reaching over to grab what looked like a sword hilt.

Meanwhile, the cleric was finally making her way towards the duo. She watched silently, holding her delicate heal staff in both hands.

The archer's fingers wrapped themselves around the hilt. It was too small for a sword, he judged it was a knife or dagger like his comrade used. Slowly, he began to pull it out of its casing to examine it.

A hand grabbed the blade end of the dagger. Dry blood was under the fingernails and fresh blood was spilling onto the ground like it had just been cut by the edge.

Both the thief and cleric screamed, running back several yards and staring wide eyed at the body. The archer tried to jump back but tripped over his own feet so he made a rather undignified sort of roll backwards. He stared at the corpse that had just moved.

His hair was in messy clumps from dried blood sticking together, his skin was deathly pale, his neck looked like it had been broken, he was covered in blood all over… and he was moving. "Leht…go." the supposedly dead boy gasped, unaware that the archer had dropped the knife long ago in fright and that it was in his own bleeding hands.

He took in a deep breath of air, his breath shaking as he did so.

"Aah…" The archer whined, crawling away from the body.

The mess of a human was breathing unsteadily, forcing each breath of air to come in and out. He tried to cough, but it came out as a weak sputter with blood and saliva spraying out as he did so.

The cleric was the first to recover. A silver-blue light flowed from the staff to the boy as she performed the most basic of healing spells. This would at least close any external injurries and prevent infection.

He moaned, turning his head weakly to look away from the pure light.

"Go to sleep." She whispered, soothingly. "If you're awake, it will hurt more when we move you." She whispered softly, and the thief lifted the brown haired boy in his arms. The smell of blood was heavy…

"Lucky kid." The archer commented to the side, examining the boy from the back.

"Hm, he's strong."

-----

"_Weiss, where are you going? Weiss, you don't have to be strong! I just want my…"_

Rumour woke up screaming in pain. At least, he tried to scream but found that he began to cough and choke on the air he was trying to breath in. He was drowning; drowning on air.

This great pain was going up and down his spine, spreading to every nerve in his body. His head felt light and he felt dirty… Where was he? Caelin. Lundren. He wasn't where he needed to be!

"Hold him down!" A girl shrieked, and a pair of strong arms pulled the spy back onto what felt like a rough bed. The springs in the mattress kept hitting all the wrong nerves in his back.

Silent tears touched nerves on his faces.

"Calm down, boy!" Other voices began to command, great hands pressing down heavily on his arms and legs to keep him from flailing about.

"Mend!" The girl called and a light green light blinded the spy's vision. He could feel this energy flowing through his body, specifically down his back. There was the sound of joints popping and this tight feeling of something coming together. He had a feeling it wasn't supposed to hurt, but damnit, this just felt funny and his mind and nerves couldn't take it.

Suddenly he felt sore and tight all over. Like someone had wrapped an incredibly tight sheet of fabric around his body. But he felt relieved… well, just a little relieved.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" A girl asked, beginning to mix what looked like some sort of medicine. "Here, drink this." She offered, holding the small cup up for him to take. "It's an antitoxin."

The injurred spy looked up, noticing that the two men that were holding him down earlier were watching the two of them. He refused to open his mouth. "C'mooon, drink up." She offered again. "It'll help the nerves relax and bring your fever down."

"You better drink up, boy."One man laughed, hitting Rumour's back as he spoke.

"Oof!" Rumour spluttered, a thin mist of spit spraying from his lips. This guy… had heavy hands… "Ack!" He gasped again.

"Don't do that! He's really sensitive there right now!!" The healer snapped, jumping to her feet and glaring at the men.

"Calm down, Clock." One man growled.

"_Cloche_." She replied sourly.

The two men merely laughed. One patted the spy roughly on his back and he wished they would stop _touching_ him while the second one pretended to kiss the upset girl. She leaned so far back, it was amazing her back didn't snap if half. With their laugh for the day, the two men exitted the room though a door on the other side.

Rumour watched in what felt like drugged silence as the girl went about the room talking to herself and threatening anything that moved. Strange girl. He thought weakly.

Silence filled the room and all Rumour heard was her heavy breathing.

"Sorry about that." She whispered, pulling a stool next to Rumour.

The boy automatically cringed and tried to get away from the strange girl.

"I just can't stand these people." She explained calmly while making another batch of antitoxin. "They think I'm… mad, y'know?"

"Mad?" Rumour asked weakly, wondering which form of the word she was using. Either way, he didn't like the idea of a crazy or homicidal doctor taking care of him.

"Hahah, don't worry, I'm not!" She laughed, seeing the look of disbelief on his face. "But if they think I'm crazy, they don't take me seriously. Now, drink up- for real this time." She commanded, forcing the cup of milky liquid and leaves into his hands while she went around picking up things she had knocked to the ground in her act.

"Hm, you're really lucky, you could have died if we were any later." She announced. "Yeah, it was that bad." She sighed, rearranging what looked like herb packets.

"Where am I?"

"You aren't allowed to talk until you drink all of that." The girl scolded, pointing at the antitoxin which was beginning to change from milky white to white on the bottom and clear on top. He shook the cup a little bit to mix the contents and took a swallow. It was… sickeningly flavorless. He didn't want to swallow any more.

"So… my name's Cloche and I'm the best healer you'll find here." She introduced herself. "And you are?"

He struggled to swallow the medicine again but spit it back out the second it touched his tongue. "R-ru-ru-…." He stammered, trying to put together an alias of some sort.

"Rue?" Cloche asked curiously. She laughed. "What kind of name is Rue?"

_A name thought up in two seconds._ He thought to himself, suddenly taking an interest in the contents of the antitoxen. The leaves were starting to get soggy and sink…

There was an uneasy silence as Cloche watched the spy calmly. "So what'd you do to get yourself poisoned _and_ beat, hm?"

"Nothing…" Rumour mumbled.

"Someone really tried to kill you."

"That's nice"

She chuckled at his sarcastic remark. "I think the poison saved your life though," She remarked.

Dead silence.

"I think when they tried to suffocate you, you lost consciousness because of the poison," She explained. "Meanwhile, this person assumed he had suffocated and killed you. But really the poison put you in a deathlike state before---."

Suddenly, Rumour drank from the cup forcing each and every flavorless gulp down. Droplets of pearly white fell from his lips. He held the cup out to her and looked away and took an interest in his surroundings.

It was a small room but big enough for one person and maybe another. It looked like it used to be part of a bigger house but the rest of the house was gone… maybe destroyed in a fire or torn down for some reason or another. There were two windows to the far side of the room which were thick with dust and had candle wax dripping down the edges.

A collection of cups, bags, and glasses filled the make shift shelves against the walls. In the center was a table, a chair, and a burlap bag which served as a rug of some sort.

Outside he could see people walking by. Most of which were tall men with broad shoulders. He couldn't make much from their physical appeareances but he heard all sorts of roaring outside and the sound of clashing metal.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"Taliver mountains." Cloche replied hesitantly.

Taliver? The mountains that divided Bern and Sacae? How the hell did he get out here?

"Which side?" Rumour asked.

"I'm not sure anymore… they keep changing locations every other day it feels like." She replied wearily.

So there was a chance… that he was in Bern? There was a chance he could make it back. He could tell that one guy- Quartz. He looked like someone who would listen. But he couldn't go back a failure…

His optimistic thoughts were interrupted by solemn silence. "Who keeps moving?" He inquired finally picking up on her words.

"The Taliver Bandits of course."Cloche explained.

"You don't look like you'd be involved with bandits."

"Well, I am so get used to it." She replied simply.

Taliver Bandits… he had heard about them. They were supposed to be real rough. The spy frowned sympathetically, as he watched the girl force herself to speak.

"They just like me, is all."

"Aren't the Taliver supposed to be cruel?" He inquired listening to her story. "From what I've heard, they didn't sound like charitable people."

"They're not, that's why you might want to get out of here before they make you do something you don't want to. They might make you kill." She advised.

"Make me kill?" He repeated, some how finding those words amusing.

"Why are you laughing?-!"

"Cloche," Rumour began, sitting up and leaning forward so he could speak quieter. "If you help me, I'll save you."

The cleric shook her head no. "I don't need any saving." She insisted. "And it doesn't matter how strong you think you are, you can't do anything to the Taliver." She added cynically.

A sly and confident smile formed on the spy's lips. "Heal me and I can do anything."

She bit her lip, staring into the spy's shining blue eyes. "I hate heroes…" She mumbled.

Heroes? Was she calling him a hero? He looked into her eyes but refused to let her look deep into his. "I won't let you down."


End file.
